Buyback

Cipher Design Space

Is Ciphers design space that much less than other instant or sorcery keywords? I feel like it could work with nearly any effect as just a bonus way to reuse the spell. A bit tougher to guarantee than rebound or buyback maybe, but I would've thought it'd be in a similar boat to those sorts of abilities.

It has to be an ability that’s meaningful post-combat. That shrinks thing’s significantly.

Buyback Cipher Design Space Instants Keywords Rebound Rebound Sorceries

Adding Subtypes Mechanics

I just found out that there's a rule that prevents you from adding enchantment types to non-enchantment permanent, and so on for other subtypes. As such... If/When: Something that lets you choose a subtype to add to a spell or permanent. (I want to splice onto an arcane buyback spell.)

That’s what tribal, the card type, does. There are no plans to replicate it in a new card type.

Buyback Card Types Enchantments If/When Kindred / Typal Mechanics Replicate Rules Splice Subtype

Split Second's Storm Scale

Split second has an EIGHT on the storm scale! WHY IS IT AN EIGHT?!? Is it a power level issue? Surely not! Things that high on the scale for power concerns are mechanics like DELVE AND AFFINITY!! Does it lead to unfun gameplay? Maybe for the blue player, but either way, it’s not close to as bad as fateseal or buyback, which are ALSO both eights! Is it too convoluted? Opalescence effects are famously confusing even for entrenched players, AND ANIMATING ENCHANTMENTS IS ONLY AT SEVEN!!!! Is it too bland or niche? Maybe it’s rather unassuming, but is it really as boring as ABSORB? Is it really as useless as FATEFUL HOUR?!? Honestly there’s a lot of storm scale ratings that seem strange to me, but split second holds a special place in my heart, which is why I’m asking about this mechanic specifically.

The mechanic has baggage that might not be apparent to you. For example, it confused a lot of players and had some play design issues. I do think we’ll see split second again, but more likely in a supplemental set than a premier set (and that’s what the Storm Scale measures).

Absorb Absorb Affinity Blue Buyback Delve Enchantments Fateful hour Fateseal Game Play Mechanics Opalescence Play Design Power Level Premier Sets Split Second Storm Scale

Spell Return Color Identification

"What color would "return target spell you control to its owners hand" be in?
Blue. I’m not sure the value of it. Do you mean “the next spell you cast goes to your hand instead of the graveyard”? Kind of a splice buyback?"
I was thinking more like a Whiteman Lion but for a spell I control on the stack.

Definitely blue, probably on a creature with flash.

Blue Buyback Colors Creatures Flash Splice The Graveyard The Stack Your Hand

Spell Return Mechanism Color

Hi Mark,What color would "return target spell you control to its owners hand" be in?

Blue. I’m not sure the value of it. Do you mean “the next spell you cast goes to your hand instead of the graveyard”? Kind of a splice buyback?

Blue Buyback Colors Splice The Graveyard Your Hand

Failed Mechanic Replacement

Why didn't the mechanic that buyback replaced work?

There was no way to monitor draw triggers, especially negative ones.

Buyback Mechanics Triggered Abilities

Kicker Versus Other Abilities

Buyback, Replicate, Entwine, Fuse, Exploit, Awaken and Escalate are all really just versions of Kicker. Why not just use Kicker so that these abilities could be backward and forward compatable?

1) We value flavor and excitement of individual sets over keyword continuity. There isn’t that many cards, for example, that care about kicker. As I’ve said many times, one of the big drawbacks of kicker is it’s too broad a mechanic. 2) Not having to keyword it as kicker gives us more flexibility on how individual mechanics work. Not every mechanic you named, for instance, is exactly kicker.

Awaken Buyback Entwine Escalate Exploit Flavor Fuse Keywords Kicker Mechanics Replicate

Buyback Mechanic for Blue Red

Would buyback be a good mechanic for blue red?

It’s not something we’re going to make evergreen, but it is spell based which is a blue/red thing.

Blue Buyback Evergreen Izzet (U/R) Mechanics Red

Reanimate Spell Limits

Is it possible to push cheap temporary reanimate spells like Corpse Dance (without the buyback)?

Not without making it hard for us to make big, expensive splashy creatures.

Buyback Corpse Dance Creatures Reanimate Spells

Tempest's Design Decisions

Hey Mark! I was listening to Drive to Work #685 you mentioned there was "too much stuff" in Tempest when you and the team designed it, so echo and cycling got pushed forward to Urza's Saga. How did you and the rest of the design team decide to push echo and cycling forward to Urza's Saga and keep Shadow and Buyback in Tempest, instead of any other combination of mechanics in either set?

Shadow and buyback fit better with the overall structure of the set.

Buyback Cycling Drive to Work Echo Mechanics Sagas Shadow Tempest Urza Urza's Saga

Unearth Naming History

Ages ago, it was joked that players must love mechanics with the word "back" in them: buyback, flashback.... So to that end, why wasn't unearth named something like "comeback"?

Unearth’s playtest name was Flashdance based on the Flashback mechanic and the reanimation card Dance of the Dead.

Buyback Dance of the Dead Flashback Mechanics Playtesting Unearth

Keyword Combo Sets

If or When (In Supplemental most likely) A theme or cycle of multiple keywords from the past that work well together on a card. Examples: Haze of Rage (Storm & Buyback), Sprout Swarm (Convoke & Buyback), Ichor Slick (Cycling & Madness), etc.

We call those “mix & match”. It would have to be a supplemental set and one with enough keywords to make it work. It’s not out of the question.

Buyback Convoke Cycling Haze of Rage Ichor Slick If/When Keyword Abilities Keywords Madness Sprout Swarm

Multi-Keyword Card Promise

Cards with multiple non-evergreen key/ability words on them again? If or when? (ex: Sprout Swarm having convoke and buyback)

When, although more likely in supplemental products than Standard-legal ones.

Ability Words Buyback Convoke Evergreen If/When Sprout Swarm Standard

Buyback vs Rebound

Does buyback have a chance at returning or does rebound fill that role better?

Rebound has a much better chance of return than buyback.

Buyback Rebound

Jumpstart Mechanic Decision

Given that the cost requires discarding a card, was it considered to have Jumpstart NOT exile the graveyard spell that gets cast?

Having had a set with buyback in it, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t considered.

Buyback Cast Jumpstart The Exile Zone The Graveyard

Buyback Guild Affiliation

If Buyback was in a Ravnica set, what guild would it be?

Probably Izzet as it only goes on instants and sorceries.

Buyback Instants Izzet (U/R) Sorceries Two Color

Rabiah and Storm Changes

On your Rabiah and Storm scales, do your opinions of them change over time? Are there things today that, let's say 5 years ago, have changed?

Things can change because of factors that might make things more or less likely. Buyback went up when we tried putting it in Journey into Nyx and discovered how hard it was to use in modern design.

Buyback Journey into Nyx Keyword Abilities Modern More or Less Nyx

Flashback and Buyback Rules

So flashback + buyback doesn't work in black border, does it combo in silver border? Does Blast from the Past work the way people expect it does?

Sadly, no. Silver border doesn’t change how mechanics work.

Black Black Border Blast from the Past Buyback Flashback Mechanics Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Rath and Serra's Fate

I'm really curious as to why both Rath and Serra's Realm are at a 9 on the Rabiah scale? I know I'm biased because I started playing Magic in 1996/1997, but to me it seems like Tempest block is the height of nostalgia for a lot of players. Is the rating due to unpopularity, is it due to mechanics like Shadow, Buyback, and the Oath cycle being too hard to make work in modern cards, or is it just a story thing where because Rath and Serra's Realm were destroyed the story couldn't go back there?

They are 9’s because neither still exists. Serra’ Realm was destroyed by Urza and Rath overlaid Dominaria as part of the Phyrexian invasion.

Buyback Dominaria Mechanics Modern Phyrexian Rabiah Scale Shadow Story / Lore Tempest Urza

Buyback or Replicate in Standard

Buyback in standard or Replicate in standard?

Replicate.

Buyback Replicate Standard